Roose's grand slam helps Albany split

Sixth-inning blast rallies Dutchmen in twinbill nightcap

The Albany Dutchmen and Mohawk Valley DiamondDawgs split their Perfect Game Collegiate Baseball League doubleheader on Saturday at Siena Field in Loudonville.

Aaron Roose's grand slam in the sixth inning of the second game of the twinbill helped the Dutchmen steal a 6-4 win.

Albany held a slim 2-1 advantage heading into the sixth before Mohawk Valley rallied for three runs, highlighted by a Jimmy Joyce two-run home run, to give the DiamondDawgs a 4-2 lead heading into the bottom-half of the inning.

But the Dutchmen refused to quit and loaded the bases with nobody out. Mohawk Valley reliever Luc Scudalleri entered the game to face Roose who, facing a 1-2 count, connected for the grand slam which gave Albany a split of the doubleheader.

Roose finished the game 1-for-2 with a walk and the slam to lead the Dutchmen.

In the first game, Albany had its six-game winning streak snapped with a 7-2 loss to Mohawk Valley.

Justin Guerrera's two-run home run keyed a three-run first inning that gave the DiamondDawgs' pitching staff all the support they needed to pick up the win.

Guerrera finished the day 2-for-3 with the two-run blast and Jimmy Joyce was also 2-for-3 with a pair of RBIs to lead the Mohawk Valley offense.

On the mound, Cole Miller tossed six innings, allowing one earned run on six hits while striking out five to earn the victory.

Justin Bench had a 3-for-3 performance, including a double and two runs scored, for the Dutchmen.

Albany returns to action at Siena Field in Loudonville on Sunday to host the Adirondack Trail Blazers starting at 5:05 p.m.